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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25174579">An Unwitting Date</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lacunan_Trooper_Arkfall/pseuds/Lacunan_Trooper_Arkfall'>Lacunan_Trooper_Arkfall</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>BNA: Brand New Animal (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:34:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,697</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25174579</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lacunan_Trooper_Arkfall/pseuds/Lacunan_Trooper_Arkfall</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marie comforts a certain girlfriend over the loss of a friend</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Itami Marie/Kagemori Michiru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>An Unwitting Date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Designation: "An Unwitting Date," v9, parts 1-5</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>An Unwitting Date</p>
<p>            “She was kidnapped before my very eyes,” Michiru finishes, bringing her dark teal eyes back up, only to find Ogami gone, replaced with a bored Marie pushing a cart laden with some sort of water coolers. “WHAT?!” she exclaims.</p>
<p>            “If you’re looking for Ogami, he’s with the mayor,” Marie explains, tone flat, shifting her bored emerald eyes to Michiru. She sighs breathily, digging into her pocket. “Here.” She extends a bill marked with starkly contrasting red and black ink. “This month’s mobile phone bill,” she clarifies nonchalantly.</p>
<p>            Ripping the bill from Marie’s grasp, Michiru grumbles, “What? I have to pay you for this too?” Marie’s tiny smirk does not escape her notice. “500,000 yen?! That’s highway robbery!” She blurts, her tail bristling.</p>
<p>            “Sorry, babe, but if I baby you anymore, you’ll never learn~” she coos in a singsong fashion.</p>
<p>            “But I don’t have any money,” Michiru grumbles.</p>
<p>            Marie smirks, draping a tan olive arm around Michiru’s shoulders, and smooshing Michiru’s skeptical face against her own. Michiru can feel Marie’s warm, smooth skin against her cheek, the silky lavender dreadlock snaking down her neck and beneath her shirt’s collar, the heavy palm lying atop her breast. Michiru can even smell the sharp mint of Marie’s shampoo. “If you can’t pay, earn it,” she advises, gesturing grandly with her free hand. Michiru looks at Marie’s gesture dubiously.</p>
<p>            The mink steps behind Michiru and places her palms atop the younger woman’s shoulders. Marie ducks her head behind Michiru’s left shoulder, leaning in until Michiru can feel the tickle of warm breath on her neck. “Sell these at a high price to those fools in the slums,” she whispers quickly, gritting her teeth greedily.</p>
<p>            “Why do I feel like you are using me?” Michiru complains softly. She can feel Marie shifting behind her. She shivers as warm breath assaults her left ear.</p>
<p>            “Little raccoon, I would <em>never </em>use you,” Marie promises smoothly. The tanuki turns her head to study the mink over her shoulder doubtfully and cocks an eyebrow.</p>
<p>            “Yes, yes, you would,” Michiru counters, smiling.</p>
<p>            “Maybe,” Marie recognizes, giving Michiru’s lips a quick peck. “Maybe not.”</p>
<p>            Heat rises to Michiru’s face. Even after dating Marie for several weeks, her kisses still get her every time. Marie chuckles at the tanuki’s dumbfounded face.</p>
<p>            Patting her cheek, Marie whispers, “Sell those,” pointing to the water filters, “and I’ll see you tomorrow night for our date,” she finishes, giving Michiru a parting peck on the cheek. She turns to leave, then pauses. Marie pulls the tanuki in for a quick hug. “And I’m sorry about your friend, hon,” Marie adds, giving Michiru a squeeze. “It sounds like you were really close.”</p>
<p>            “Yes…” Michiru replies sadly, “Yes, we were.”</p>
<p>          </p><hr/>
<p>           </p>
<p>            <em>The next afternoon.</em></p>
<p>Something buzzes. Michiru raises her head from her pillow and looks at her phone. A text appears on her phone: <em>/Weasel/. </em>She clicks it.</p>
<p>            <em>{I’m at the restaurant. I don’t see you. Are you here?}</em></p>
<p>Michiru sighs. She forgot that their date was today. Her argument with Nazuna, however, has stripped her of her energy. Slowly, she types out a meager response: <em>{Sorry, I don’t think I can make it today.} </em></p>
<p>            Sighing once more, she drops her phone back on the bed and buries her head into her pillow. More buzzing. She ignores it and sinks her head further into her pillow.</p>
<p>            A few minutes later, the doorbell rings.</p>
<p>            “Coming!” Melissa shouts, hurrying to the front door. The door makes a crackling pop as it opens.</p>
<p>            “Hello,” a familiar voice greets, “I’m Marie Itami. Is Michiru here?”</p>
<p>            “Ah, yes, upstairs,” Melissa answers. The door shuts. “Are you Michiru’s friend?” Melissa asks cordially. <em>More like troublesome devil, </em>Michiru mutters under her breath.</p>
<p>            “You could say that,” Marie answers. Michiru is surprised to hear a smile in the mink’s voice. Normally, Marie can’t be bothered to be polite. <em>Huh. Who knew Marie could play nice?</em></p>
<p>            “Michiru, your friend is here!” Melissa shouts upstairs.</p>
<p>            “Okay,” Michiru responds weakly, her voice muffled by the pillow.</p>
<p>            “You’ll have to forgive Michiru,” Melissa apologizes. “She has had a rough day.”</p>
<p>            “No worries,” Marie replies cheerfully. <em>Who </em>is<em> this? </em>Michiru wonders.</p>
<p>            The soft clacking of heels rises up the stairs. Michiru doesn’t bother raising her head when the floorboards creak. The footsteps come over to the side of her bed.</p>
<p>            “Hi, little raccoon,” Marie greets softly, stroking the tanuki’s hair. “What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>            “…nothing,” comes the muffled response.</p>
<p>            Staring at the lump of tanuki lying on the bed, Marie sighs. “Scooch over,” the mink tells her, gently tapping on the tanuki’s side with both hands. Michiru mumbles something unintelligible. “Come on,” Marie persists.</p>
<p>            “…fine,” Michiru grumbles half-heartedly, somehow sliding over without removing her head from the pillow. Marie raises her eyebrows, impressed with the tanuki’s dexterity. Kicking her heels off, the mink lies down to face her pouting partner as best she can without disturbing her.</p>
<p>            “You don’t have to,” Marie offers tenderly, gliding her hand through the tanuki’s blue hair, “but I’ll be here if you want to talk about it, okay, hon?”</p>
<p>            Michiru’s head shifts slightly, a teal eye peeking out from the pillow. Marie gives her her sweetest smile. The eye shuts. Then, the tanuki flops onto her side, curling up feebly besides the mink’s chest. Muddy brown hands pathetically scrunch Marie’s dark gray sweater. “…hold me…” the girl asks in a somber, hushed voice, curling further into Marie.</p>
<p>            Marie’s heart aches slightly at the sight. Never before has she seen Michiru so defeated, so devoid of her tenacious fire.</p>
<p>            “…of course, my little raccoon,” Marie replies gently. She wraps one arm around the tanuki’s slim waist and cradles her head with the other, pressing the girl’s delicate frame against her.</p>
<p>            Michiru shudders, a single sob escaping her lips. Burning tears brim beneath her teal eyes. Placing a tender kiss on Michiru’s forehead, Marie murmurs, “it’s okay, I’m here.”</p>
<p>            And just those kind, simple words are enough. The dam breaks, and tears pour freely from teal eyes. Burning teardrops wet Marie’s sweater. Marie rubs small, comforting circles into Michiru’s back while whispering soothingly, “It’s okay, it’s okay, just let it all out.” Michiru cries in a high-pitched whimper, with shudder after sobbing shudder. Then the sobs trail off, leaving Michiru gasping for breath, only for the sobs to start all over again.</p>
<p>            Eventually, the tears slow, then stop altogether, leaving Michiru breathing shakily. The tanuki awkwardly releases Marie’s tear-soaked sweater. Marie plants another kiss atop Michiru’s head. “Feel any better, hon?” the mink asks kindly. Michiru sniffles, then nods belatedly, refusing to meet Marie’s emerald eyes.</p>
<p>            Marie frowns. “You know,” she begins, shifting to support herself on her extended arm, “you have the most <em>beautiful </em>eyes, darling,” she flirts, wiping away a stray tear with her thumb. Michiru laughs, tilting her head to smile up at Marie. “There she is,” the mink sighs happily, leaning down to kiss Michiru’s tawny lips. The tanuki smiles sleepily at Marie, exhausted from all the crying, before dropping both her smile and her gaze.</p>
<p>            “I met Nazuna yesterday,” the tanuki murmurs, hugging herself slightly.</p>
<p>            “Wait, your kidnapped friend?” Marie asks, combing her fingers through Michiru’s hair.</p>
<p>            “So, you <em>were </em>paying attention,” Michiru jokes with a weary smile.</p>
<p>            “Just because I was bored doesn’t mean I wasn’t paying attention,” the mink counters. Michiru looks at her dubiously. “Hey! Boredom is the result <em>of </em>paying attention!”</p>
<p>            “Heh. I guess that’s true,” Michiru replies, give the mink a feeble smile. Marie smiles back encouragingly. The tanuki sighs, then continues, “So, I met her yesterday down in the slums masquerading as Silver Wolf. While we were catching up, I tried to get her to stay here at Beastman Co-op but Shirou refused. So, I decided to join the Church of the Silver Wolf—” Marie begins chuckling. “What’s so funny?” Michiru asks indignantly.</p>
<p>            “Nothing,” the mink replies slyly. Michiru scowls. “Nothing!” Marie states again. “It’s just that impulsively joining a religion you know barely anything about seems very you.”</p>
<p>            “Hmph!” the tanuki huffs sharply, turning away from Marie to pout. The mink chuckles once more. Michiru huffs again, decidedly ignoring her.</p>
<p>            Marie sighs, leaning down until she is almost touching Michiru’s ear. “Don’t worry, little raccoon…” she whispers seductively, her breath warm on Michiru’s ear. “It’s a trait I find… <em>attractive~….”</em></p>
<p>            Heat burns the tanuki’s face. Turning wordlessly towards Marie, she watches as the mink slowly raises herself back up to sitting position, smirking down at Michiru like a wolf upon a rabbit.</p>
<p>            Michiru seems to snap out of the mink’s entrancement, coughing to the side to hide her embarrassment. “Anyway!” the tanuki hurries. “Nazuna tricked me into helping her meet the mayor this morning. When I confronted her later, she said that I was forcing my beliefs on her.” Michiru bites her lip. “…I kinda threw the church’s pendent away and stormed off.”</p>
<p>            “Mm. You <em>do </em>tend to force your opinions on others, hon,” Marie comments unsympathetically. Michiru glares up at her.</p>
<p>            “How is that meant to make me feel better?” she growls.</p>
<p>            “It isn’t necessarily a bad thing, dear,” Marie soothes. “It’s just a part of who you are. You have a strong set of morals and you expect everyone else to uphold those morals as well.” With Michiru’s growing scowl, Marie hurries on, adding, “Which is a wonderful thing, dear, but not everyone likes to be told that they are immoral.” The tanuki turns onto her side, facing away from Marie to sulk.</p>
<p>            “…I guess,” Michiru concedes weakly.</p>
<p>            Marie looks ready to say something else when a voice interrupts them.</p>
<p>            “Michiru, dinner’s ready!” Melissa calls, reaching the top of the staircase. “Oh, Marie, would you like to join us?” she asks, smiling.</p>
<p>            “I’d love to, but I don’t wish to intrude,” Marie answers politely.</p>
<p>            “Nonsense! It’s no trouble at all!” Melissa assures warmly. Marie stands, ready to follow Melissa downstairs, when Michiru pipes up.</p>
<p>            “But don’t you have some work to finish tonight, Marie?” the tanuki asks sweetly, masking her annoyance. Both Marie and Melissa turn back to face Michiru.</p>
<p>            “Oh? That’s too bad,” Melissa sighs.</p>
<p>            “Actually,” Marie amends, smiling to hide her irritation, “I finished all my work for the night.” Michiru sends her a veiled glare.</p>
<p>            “Oh, wonderful,” Melissa says, clapping her hands. “I’ll set a spot for you at the table!” Melissa tells Marie, then descends back downstairs before Michiru can think of a proper counter.</p>
<p>            “You really are cheap,” Michiru chastises once Melissa is out of earshot.</p>
<p>            Marie smiles greedily. “I can’t just say no to a free meal,” she counters with a slight shrug.</p>
<p>            <em>“Weasel,”</em> Michiru sneers.</p>
<p>            <em>“Mink,” </em>Marie corrects through clenched teeth. <em>“Tanuki,” </em>she adds, seemingly daring Michiru with a raised eyebrow. The two glare at each other for a moment, then break into joyous laughter.</p>
<p>            “Come on,” Michiru says, waving her hand towards the stairs. “Let’s go down.”</p>
<p>          </p><hr/>
<p>           </p>
<p>            Dinner was… uncanny.</p>
<p>            Nothing went wrong. No, far from it. Everything went swimmingly— <em>too </em>swimmingly.</p>
<p>            Within minutes, Marie seemed to adapt perfectly to the Horner’s, and vice versa. If Michiru didn’t know better, she’d say that Marie had been the adopted daughter of the Horner’s for at least a decade and a half, if not more. They got along effortlessly, laughed at each other’s jokes, and seemed to intrinsically know what the other was thinking. Marie even managed to make Shirou smile at one of her jokes, which boggled Michiru’s mind. It had taken her weeks just to get Shirou to smile, yet here she is, watching Shirou answering Marie’s joke with another.</p>
<p>            It was fun, however, to watch Marie dance around questions about her… morally<em> dubious</em> occupation, calling herself an “entrepreneur,” instead of a hustling, opportunistic <em>weasel </em>that cheats people of their livelihood.</p>
<p>            After dinner, Marie offers to help Melissa clear the dishes. Michiru takes the opportunity to ask a certain wolf about the mink.</p>
<p>            “Shirou-san!” Michiru calls eagerly after Shirou, who was trying to slip away back to his quarters. He pauses, then turns back to face the tanuki.</p>
<p>            “Yes?” he asks gruffly.</p>
<p>            “Um, what did you think of Marie?” the tanuki asks hesitantly.</p>
<p>            “Well, she seems like a nice girl.” Michiru can feel her jaw drop. “Why?”</p>
<p>            “Wha—? You didn’t find her suspect or— or— immoral, or something?” the tanuki asks, flabbergasted.</p>
<p>            “No. She is definitely a deceptive, opportunistic businesswoman, but I would hardly call her immoral. She obviously cares about you deeply and refuses to cross any and all boundaries that would make you upset.” Shirou pauses, then smiles approvingly at Michiru. “You have found an excellent girlfriend,” Shirou commends.</p>
<p>            “WHA—?! You knew?!” Michiru exclaims, blood rushing to her face.</p>
<p>            “Michiru,” Shirou states seriously, “it’s obvious. She somehow managed to calm you down after half a day of sulking— <em>without </em>causing some big argument. Heck, you can see it in the way you two look at each other when you think no one is watching.”</p>
<p>            Michiru looks to the side and crosses her arms, as if that will hide her embarrassment. “…we don’t ogle each other…” the tanuki counters meekly. Shirou considers her with a knowing look.</p>
<p>            “Michiru, I can smell her on you,” Shirou asserts.</p>
<p>            “Ew, gross!” Michiru exclaims disgustedly, turning away from Ogami, her tail quivering in rage.</p>
<p>            “Not like that, Michiru,” Shirou groans. “Whenever I transform into my wolf form, I can smell her shampoo on you.” He wrinkles his nose. “It’s quite strong.”</p>
<p>            “Oh. Yeah, it is pretty strong,” she agrees, then murmurs, “…but I like it….”</p>
<p>            Shirou smiles at that. “Of course you do.”</p>
<p>            The tanuki is about to defend herself when something heavy bumps into her shoulder. “Marie,” the tanuki breathes.</p>
<p>            “Sup?” Marie greets, scooping a spoonful of what looks like strawberries and cream out of a teal ceramic bowl and into her mouth. “What?” Marie asks, mouth full, her cunning emerald eyes already scheming. “You want some?”</p>
<p>            “uh…” is all the tanuki can manage, looking to Shirou for help. Shirou smirks at her, but, luckily, decides to help her.</p>
<p>            “Well Itami-san, it was wonderful meeting you,” Shirou offers diplomatically, extending a handshake.</p>
<p>            Marie swallows, shoving her bowl into Michiru’s hands despite the tanuki’s protests. She accepts the handshake. “Likewise, Ogami-san,” Marie replies with a smile. “Tell me if you ever need a new source of information in your… <em>investigations~.”</em></p>
<p>            “I’ll keep that in mind,” Shirou responds with a warm smile, yet again boggling Michiru’s mind. They release their handshake. “Keep an eye on this one,” Shirou tells Marie, pointing at Michiru with a tapping motion. Michiru, for her part, is stuffing her face full of Marie’s strawberries and cream.</p>
<p>            “Wha…?” she asks dully, like a deer caught in the headlights.</p>
<p>            “I will, sir,” Marie agrees, staring wolfishly at the tanuki. Michiru can’t shake the feeling that she has fallen into a trap. The mink smirks. “Both of them.”</p>
<p>            “Good,” Shirou commends, nodding his head approvingly. He turns to leave. “Good night, ladies,” Shirou bids farewell, lazily raising a hand in a suppressed wave.</p>
<p>            “Good night!” the two women call after the wolf beastman.</p>
<p>            The mink turns back to face Michiru. “Now,” Marie says, licking her lips. Michiru finds the mink staring hungrily not at the bowl between her hands, but at her full, cream-covered lips.</p>
<p>            <em>Uh-oh.</em></p>
<p>
  
</p><hr/>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>            Upstairs in Michiru’s room.</em>
</p>
<p>Michiru delicately runs her finger over her puckered lips, marveling at the tingling sensation left by Marie’s tongue.</p>
<p>            Marie absentmindedly licks the remaining cream off her fingers while peering tenderly over Michiru’s shoulder, taking in her girlfriend’s blushing face outlined by the mulberry light of the backdrop. Something snaps, releasing from chains something old, something powerful, something <em>hungry</em>. Sighing, the mink saunters over to Michiru.</p>
<p>            The tanuki gasps as dark olive hands clasp her shoulders. “I wonder how you would feel if I used my tongue on places <em>other </em>than your lips?” Marie whispers breathily into the tanuki’s ear. The mink can feel heat radiate off Michiru. Warm hands slide across smooth skin as Marie <em>ever-so-slowly </em>pushes Michiru’s jacket off her shoulders. The jacket slips, crumpling onto the floor.</p>
<p>            Warm breath assaults Michiru’s neck as Marie’s left hand snakes dangerously down the tanuki’s back, while her right slides along Michiru’s shoulder and up her neck, pressing gently yet commandingly into the soft flesh beneath the tanuki’s jawline with her thumb and forefinger. Michiru gasps, feebly grasping at the mink’s wrist.</p>
<p>            Suddenly, Marie pulls the tanuki’s waist towards her, flattening the girl against her, eliciting a yelp from Michiru. Grinning, the mink plants her feet on either side of Michiru’s, draping her overcoat over the tanuki. Marie’s left hand slips quietly beneath Michiru’s shirt, roaming the expanse of tan, muscular skin. Heat begins building in the tanuki’s core</p>
<p>            “Here?” the mink asks huskily, tugging gently on the tanuki’s ear with her teeth and running her tongue along the tip. Michiru shivers in suppressed ecstasy, thumping her tail against Marie’s leg. A silent chuckle reverberates through the mink. Marie snakes her hand farther up Michiru’s abdomen, bumping against the smooth edge of the tanuki’s compressed tank top. Marie scraps her pearly white teeth along Michiru’s ear, sending shivers up and down her spine. Marie then cocks the tanuki’s head to the side and scraps her teeth down the newly exposed skin, causing Michiru’s breath to hitch. Marie slides her other hand under the tanuki’s tank top, cupping her left breast and extracting another soft gasp from Michiru.</p>
<p>            “Or here?” Marie murmurs, biting at the base of the tanuki’s neck while simultaneously giving her breast a firm squeeze, causing her knees to buckle. Michiru whimpers, arching her spine as Marie sucks on her neck, pressing her teeth further into the tanuki’s neck. Michiru snakes a desperate hand up the back of Marie’s neck, rustling through her lavender dreadlocks. The heat in the tanuki’s core burns so hot that she’s afraid she’s going to melt.</p>
<p>            “Or maybe…?” the mink whispers breathily, releasing the tanuki’s breast and snaking her hand down over Michiru’s navel, slipping down into her shorts, and down further still. “Down here—?”</p>
<p>            “Marie,” Michiru whines. The advances halt.</p>
<p>            “Do you want me to stop?” Marie asks gingerly, perching her chin on the tanuki’s shoulder, patiently searching the girl’s teal eyes with her own emerald eyes.</p>
<p>            Michiru screws her eyes shut, tilting her head back. Unable to speak with the excitement, she instead rapidly nods her head and hums anxiously.</p>
<p>            “Okay, then I’ll stop,” Marie answers softly, pulling her hand out of Michiru’s shorts and relinquishing her grasp on the tanuki’s neck. Stepping back, the mink releases Michiru from her dominated position and walks around her to inspect the tanuki’s photo album, obscuring her face from Michiru.</p>
<p>            The tanuki’s tail droops and her ears sag in disappointment. “Sorry,” she mumbles, staring at her shoes and silently cursing herself for wimping out at the last second. Michiru can see Marie’s heels turn towards her. Michiru looks to the side, unable to meet the mink’s gaze.</p>
<p>            A delicate finger presses up against Michiru’s chin, forcing her teal eyes to meet Marie’s emerald ones. “Don’t be,” Marie replies tenderly, placing a chaste kiss on Michiru’s lips. “These things take time,” the mink reassures, smiling down lovingly at her before leaning in to whisper huskily in her ear. “Besides,” Marie breathes, her warm breath kissing the inside of Michiru’s ear, “You’re <em>well~ </em>worth the wait~.”</p>
<p>            It’s all Michiru can do to stare dumbly at Marie as she straightens, smirking down at the helpless girl before her. With the heat rising to Michiru’s face, it’s a miracle that she doesn’t melt into a puddle right there besides the floorboards.</p>
<p>          </p><hr/>
<p>           </p>
<p>            <em>An hour later.</em></p>
<p>As much as Marie would love to stay here on the couch, snuggling with a sleeping Michiru on her shoulder beneath a blanket, it’s 11:07 PM and her neck and shoulders are beginning to kill her. Sighing, Marie begins to stand, causing Michiru to whine.</p>
<p>            “Come on, little raccoon~,” Marie murmurs softly, standing on sore legs. “It’s time to go to bed.” Michiru mumbles something unintelligible and sleepily rocks into a sitting position, blinking tiredly up at Marie only to collapse back onto her side. Marie sighs again.</p>
<p>            Slipping her arms beneath Michiru’s knees and shoulders, Marie gently shifts the tanuki into a more secure grip. Marie then lifts Michiru bridal style and turns towards the bed. Stepping softly as to not disturb Michiru, Marie carefully deposits the tanuki onto the bed. Gently sliding the blanket out from beneath the tanuki, Marie drapes the thin cover over Michiru’s legs and tenderly pulls it up to the tanuki’s bare shoulders.</p>
<p>            “Good night, my love,” Marie whispers, placing a loving kiss on Michiru’s forehead.</p>
<p>            Switching off the lights, Marie turns to leave when a delicate hand pinches her pant leg. Marie turns back to Michiru. “Stay,” the tanuki pleads softly. Marie gives her a sad smile.</p>
<p>            “I’d love to, little raccoon,” the mink answers softly, gently clasping the tanuki’s hand in her own, and kneels to be eye level with Michiru, “but I don’t think that’s wise. I have to wake up early for a business deal.” Michiru gives her a pathetic look, like that of a kicked puppy. Marie can feel her resolve begin to crumble. <em>Damn her puppy eyes!</em> Marie curses silently. “What if the Horner’s see us? I don’t want to get you into trouble,” Marie counters, giving Michiru’s hand a squeeze.</p>
<p>            “I’ll just say that I still felt down and asked you to stay the night,” Michiru counters quietly. Marie purses her lips. “Please?” Michiru asks, hope glittering in her eyes. Marie can feel her resolve crack. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t be able to bring herself to destroy that hope. She sighs.</p>
<p>            “Okay, fine,” Marie concedes, her resolve folding. “I’ll stay.” Michiru beams up at Marie and shifts to make room for her. “Only for you, little raccoon,” Marie sighs, lifting up the blanket to lie beside the tanuki. Michiru rests her head on Marie, soothed by the slow, steady beat of her heart and enjoying the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Marie wraps her arm around the tanuki’s shoulders and plants a soft kiss on her forehead. “Only for you.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alright, "An Unwitting Date" is finished! Woot, woot!<br/>This was really fun to write! I'll definitely write some more fanfics based in this universe about Marie and Michiru, so stay tuned!<br/>Thank you for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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